2 years, to the day

• Oboe

• Piano

• Flautando Strings

• Low Strings

• Video of this Serving Suggestion

• Sequencer Projects, Instrument Presets, adjusted MIDI

• Recipe #27 on www.orchestrationrecipes.com (log-in required)

• More information about the used FREE Synchron Piano

Delay the notes manually to ensure playback behind the beat for creating a more emotional feeling. This is most obvious on the first note of bar 5 but also happens on almost all other notes.

• Only Midi Velocity is used

• Dynamic Range (CC30): 74 Applies a compressor (Make quiet sounds louder)
• Humanize Delay Scale (CC25): 110

• Oboe 1 / VelXF sus / Classic

• Legato con vibrato

• Modulation (CC1) for basic phrasing & balancing of the last note in phase 1
• Expression (CC11) to increase dynamic range
• Timbre Adjust (CC8) for shaping note ends at the end of the phrase

• Humanize Delay Scale (CC25): 25

• Distribute the strings to be able to use "real" Legato transitions per line
• Make sure that one instrument (e.g.: Violins 1) never plays back the same note
• Check that there are overlaps to correctly trigger the legato patches
• Slightly adjust note ends for a realistic playback

Possible solution:

Create an emulated flautando by setting up a custom patch for every instrument:

• Combine legato (Patch "Legato AT+RS soft") and tremolo patch (timestretched to 50% playback speed)
• Enable the parallel mode and set the parallel mode to "Mix" for legato and tremolo patch
• Set Vel. XF (CC1) to a value of 0

Variations per string instrument:

• For first violin a second custom patch needs to be created to get a portamento transition (beginning of bar 6). Just repeat what you did before but select portamento as base patch instead of legato
• For 2nd Violins, Violas and Cello create a second custom patch (as before, but select the "Legato RS soft" patch) Apply this patch to the first 3 notes to have a softer start and use the previous patch (with normal attack) on all other notes

• Add a phrasing curve with expression (CC11) for all flautando strings

• Activate Timbre Adjust and set the values (CC8) to 50% (midi value ~74) to make the strings less prominent
• Set Legato Blur (CC33) to 50% (midi value ~74) to create more smeared legato transitions
• Set Dynamic Range (CC30) to values around 45 (This adds a compressor to make quieter passages louder)
• Set Humanize Delay Scale (CC25) to values around 25

• Cello / VelXF Sus / Lush Long
• Double Basses / VelXF Sus / Lush Long

• Legato / Soft attack / Soft release (for the first 4 notes)
• Legato / Normal attack / Soft release (for all other notes)

• Use ModWheel (CC1) to create 2 basic phrases (First Phrase: Start until middle of bar 4)
  • Split the first phrase into two sub phrases (reduce at beginning of bar 3)
  • Add a note decay at the end of Phrase 1 / Middle of bar 4
• Use Expression (CC11) to increase dynamic range

• Set Humanize Delay Scale (CC25) to values around 30
• Set Humanize Legato Blur (CC33) to values around 30

• Increase Main microphone from 0dB to 2dB
• Reduce the Reverb Send to -10 (bring the piano closer)
• Adjust the EQ settings (brighten up the sound)
  • -6.61 dB at 490 Hz with Q 1.45
  • +7.27 dB at 8k Hz with Q 0.71

• Add a tempo map with some variation around 105 bpm and a ritardando at the last bar

1. Add the free Soft Piano to a Synchron Prime Edition Project
2. Utilize the Dynamic Range Slider (Compressor)
3. Emulate Flautando
4. Use Legato Blur for more smeared transitions